M.A.I.L. (Maille Artisans International League) is an international community of artisans and volunteers dedicated to the advancement of the chainmaille artform. We aim to encourage the sharing and spreading of information, archiving as many techniques and weaves as possible.

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Introduction
Some people I'm sure are and have been aware of this project for some time, and some people are just learning about it now. It is something that was proposed rather early on in the development of M.A.I.L and much thanks goes out to everyone who had a hand in putting this idea together. As well apologies to all those who have been working on this project and have been left in a state of limbo, as it has been neglected for some time while other work was done on M.A.I.L
In an effort to revitalize and return some momentum to this project we are setting up an opt-in mailing list so that everyone who is interested in this can be more easily kept up to date. (Let's face it, it can be hard for everyone to find the time to log into a BBS all the time in order to check on the progress of this sort of thing. Information will also be posted and talked over on the M.A.I.L board, just not there exclusively.) As people sign up for the list we will get in touch with them to see who has patches, who is working on them and who is interested in getting started. So please, if you are interested in taking part read the instructions and sign up for the mailing list on My M.A.I.L.
We don't just sit around and teach...we also like to combine our talents to create new and interesting things. Our first such project is a quilt. More than just something to do, it symbolizes our capacity to move beyond our strong and inherent differences, and create something wonderful.

The Project
The M.A.I.L. organization is undergoing a special group project. The project will be a maille quilt/tapestry. 8' x 8' (20.32cm x 20.32cm) patches will be submitted by maillers from around the world to all be attached on a certain date. We hope the result will get placed in a museum of art, a college or university, or an airport for the public to see and enjoy for many years.

Guidelines
Maille patches should be made to a standard 8 inches long by 8 inches wide (20.32cm x 20.32cm).

Border
The border for the maille patches to be submitted will be European 4 in 1 with 1/4' (6.35mm) inner diameter rings made with .063' thick wire (16 gauge SWG) (1.6mm). There is a tolerance though if you can't manage to make rings with that wire size. The border can be made from any type of metal as long as it is strong enough. The patches will be connected using stainless steel rings of the same size.
Here is a picture of what the border should look like:

Border must be 26 rings long by 17 rings wide as shown in the picture above. Please make sure that the border is the same as the one above, this will ensure that it can be incorporated into the quilt when it comes time to connect the pieces.

So far border ring IDs have varied from .268" to .280" try to keep your rings within this range.

Filling
You are free to fill in your patch with anything you want as long as it is chainmaille (fabric or chains made with small metal rings). The use of plates and beads is acceptable as long as it is made strong enough to hold up under its own weight. Please use any of the chainmaille weaves and be creative. You are free to make more than one patch if you want. Also, if you prefer, you can make a patch that is a multiple of the aforementioned patch size (Please note, we measure the pieces by number of rings, so if you want to make a patch that is 16' x 8', make it 26 rings long by 34 rings wide or 52 rings long by 17 rings wide. Please use the above picture for reference). Please also be aware that the quilt will hang the way shown above (opposite weave direction that a shirt hangs), so keep that in mind if you plan on making an inlay of some sort.

Metals
You are free to use whatever metals you wish on your patch. Some metal types that you should consider using for your patch include: stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, nickel silver, galvanized steel, mild steel, silver, gold, titanium, niobium, or aluminum. Please make sure the metal is stable enough and strong enough for this application. Once completed, the quilt will not be maintained, it will be left to age naturally. So if you use bare steel, it will rust. Please keep this in mind.

Ideas/Discussion
If you have some ideas that you think might be worth considering, please post them here: Group Projects

Submissions

Here are some pictures of quilt patches that have been submitted so far:

The Maille Artisans International League
(M.A.I.L.) and any affiliates thereof will not be held responsible for
any injuries or mishaps in the use or misuse of any information presented
at this website whether intentional or coincidental.

Maille construction is not intended for children
or intended to be taken lightly. Care must be taken at all times, as sharp
hand and power tools may be used, as well as other materials capable of
causing injuries or repetitive stress disorders. Take precautions and
have fun mailling responsibly.